The Importance of Casework

After running training seminars for constituency
caseworkers for the last five years Parli-training have come to realise the very
complex highly intricate nature of the task which constitutes casework. At
first glance it looks relatively simple and rather straightforward.

As we all
know constituents are unlikely to approach their local MP when things are going
well. One standard joke of our Mental Health Awareness Trainer Psychiatrist Dr
Isaac is that people rarely says Oh I am having a great day, everything is
working well in my life, let me contact my local MP! LOL. No as you all know
well it’s situations like when a neighbour dispute over planning gets nasty and
one resident decides to litigate, or a divorce gets messy leading to an
attempted child abduction or a parent, blows a fuse because they can’t get
their youngest daughter into the same primary school alongside their elder
siblings, this when the office phones start to ring off the hook.

Like the unsung heroes of old the caseworker has to immediately
spring into action, rationalising claims dealing with emotional outbursts and
unfortunately sometimes overt rudeness all in the effort to solve cases, getting
to the heart of the problem quickly, making that crucial intervention to conclude
the matter amicably and in so doing assist their MP to help a constituents.

In an
age where most people are more likely to know the name of their MP rather than
their often more relevant ward councillor, MPs office seem always to be the
first point of call whenever there is a localise issue. And so it is essential
that there is someone keenly qualified to deal with the myriad of enquiries MPs
offices typically face.

Coupled with the new normal which is the steady traffic and surge of use emails enquires (most often sent by mobile phones) as the
most prolifically medium to contact an MP; it’s clear that every
constituency office has a real challenge on their hands when dealing with modern
day enquiries on a weekly and daily basis. To state that MPs office are swamped
with casework would be an underestimation of the true situation.

However, it is
truly down to the hard work, dedication professionalism and organisational
flare of most MP’s caseworker working diligently behind the scenes that enables
this vital work to be done each day.